Israeli forces detain Palestinian woman in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained a Palestinian woman early Wednesday from her home in the al-Doha village in Bethlehem, a prisoners' rights group said.

The Palestinian Prisoner's Society told Ma'an Israeli forces detained Nisreen Mustafa Muhammad Hmeida, 31 years of age and mother of three, after searching her home.

An Israeli army spokeswoman did not have immediate information but told Ma'an she would look into the incident.

As of April 1, 23 Palestinian women were being held in Israeli jails, according to PPS.

Female detainees include lawmaker and PFLP member Khalida Jarrar.

Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association Addameer reported in 2014 that female prisoners are subjected to the same psychological and physical abuse as male counterparts under Israeli detention, and have reported beatings, insults, threats and sexual harassment.

Female prisoners are also routinely humiliated by intrusive body searches, which often occur before and after court hearings, and during the night as punitive measures.

Israeli forces routinely detain both Palestinian men and women throughout the West Bank, often on the pretext of perceived security threat, and Addameer estimates that 40 percent of the Palestinian male population has been arrested at some point.